Providence (band)
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Providence was a six-piece music group originally from Boise, Idaho, but later based out of Portland, Oregon, USA, circa 1971—1974. The band was made up of six members: Bob Barriatua, electric bass, vocals; Bartholomew Bishop, lead vocals, piano, harpsichord, organ, autoharp; Jim Cockey, violin, glockenspiel, vocals; Andy Guzie, guitars, vocals; and brothers Tim Tompkins, cello, vocals, recorders, percussion, and Tom Tompkins, viola, vocals, occasional violin.
The style of the group was decidedly soft rock with dominant classical influences, particularly in contrapuntal instrumental interludes by their string trio and in broad vocal harmonies that followed strict rules of voice-leading.
Their greatest accomplishment came when The Moody Blues, seeking to expand the roster of their fledgling label Threshold Records, signed Providence to a recording contract. They managed one release, Ever Sense the Dawn (1972), before parting ways.
Live, Providence was an impressive unit that drew heavily on the combined power of Bob Barriatua's bass and Tim Tompkins' cello, the two instruments combining to create a rock edge that could be quite intense. Layered on top of that were Tom Tompkins' viola and Jim Cockey's violin. Andy Guzie's guitar work was often treated as a lyrical embellishment more than the blistering leads of his rock contemporaries of the period. Bartholomew Bishop's keyboards centered around piano, organ and harpsichord, rather than the Moog, ARP and other synthesizers then in common use among groups exploring a mixture of rock and classical influences. Because of their string trio, the group did not use the popular Mellotron (which the Moodies popularized in songs like "Nights in White Satin"), giving Providence a sound that was quite organic and more complex than that created by the Mellotron.
Subsequently, Cockey and the Tompkins brothers lent their talents to the duet album Blue Jays (1975) by the Moodies' Justin Hayward and John Lodge. Barriatua has completed an M.D. degree and has established a practice in Portland. Cockey completed a degree in composition at University of Oregon under Hal Owen and has since established himself as a composer and music teacher working out of McCall, Idaho. Andy (now known as Andrew) Guzie completed a classical guitar degree from University of Oregon and continues to work as a performing guitarist in Portland. Tim and his wife Frances Tompkins have been composing and performing music together for 25 years (http://www.gallopaway.com/ ) and he appeared on the 1995 recording "Freelight" which also featured former Moody Blues keyboarist/vocalist Michael Pinder. Tom Tompkins has worked as principal violist with the Boise, Idaho symphony, broadened his musical skills to include flute and mandolin, amongst other instruments, and recorded with a range of artists. Bartholomew Bishop is rumored to have been working in retail in the Los Angeles, California area.
